DOCSLIB.ORG

General Joseph Hoar, Usmc (Ret.) Lieutenant General Robert G

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
General Joseph Hoar, Usmc (Ret.) Lieutenant General Robert G GENERAL JOSEPH HOAR, USMC (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT G. GARD, JR., USA (RET.) VICE ADMIRAL LEE F. GUNN, USN (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL CLAUDIA J. KENNEDY, USA (RET.) VICE ADMIRAL AL KONETZNI, USN (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES OTSTOTT, USA (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL JOHN BATISTE, USA (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL JOHN L. FUGH, USA (RET.) REAR ADMIRAL DONALD J. GUTER, USN (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL FRED E. HAYNES, USMC (RET.) REAR ADMIRAL JOHN D. HUTSON, USN (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL MELVYN MONTANO, ANG (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID M. BRAHMS, USMC (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES CULLEN, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL EVELYN P. FOOTE, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID R. IRVINE, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL MURRAY G. SAGSVEEN, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN N. XENAKIS, USA (RET.) COLONEL LAWRENCE B. WILKERSON, USA (RET.) AMBASSADOR/FORMER VIETNAM POW DOUGLAS "PETE" PETERSON, USAF (RET.) July 7, 2006 The Honorable Arlen Specter, Chairman The Honorable Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member Senate Judiciary Committee 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Specter and Senator Leahy: As retired military leaders of the U.S. Armed Forces, we write to express our deep concern about the nomination of William J. Haynes II, General Counsel for the Department of Defense, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. We send this letter reluctantly and after much reflection; none of us has publicly expressed concerns about any other nominee to the federal bench. What compels us to take this unusual step is our profound concern about the role Mr. Haynes played in establishing – over the objections of uniformed military lawyers – detention and interrogation policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo which led not only to the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody but to a dangerous abrogation of the military’s long-standing commitment to the rule of law. Before asking your colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to vote on Mr. Haynes’ confirmation to a lifetime judicial appointment, we strongly urge you to conduct a thorough examination of his views on the law in this area and his role in facilitating the adoption of policies that compromised military values, ignored federal and international law, and damaged America’s reputation and world leadership. We recognize that Mr. Haynes does not bear sole responsibility for these policies, many of which were based on legal opinions emanating from the White House Counsel’s Office and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the Justice Department. But a number of senior Administration officials, including Secretary of State Powell and his legal advisor, vigorously disputed those opinions and sought to challenge them. Mr. Haynes was arguably in the strongest position of any other senior government official to sound the alarm about the likely consequences for military personnel of the views being put forward by the Justice Department, because he had the benefit of the clear and unanimous concerns voiced by the uniformed Judge Advocates General of each of the military services. Yet Mr. Haynes seems to have muted these concerns, rather than amplify them. For example, in a memorandum to the Secretary of Defense dated November 27, 2002, Mr. Haynes recommended authorizing the use of dogs to exploit phobias of detainees. This practice, which clearly violated the Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogations, was subsequently authorized for use against detainees at Guantanamo. And now two servicemembers have been convicted of crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for using dogs to frighten detainees at Abu Ghraib. This was precisely what the uniformed JAGs predicted would happen once such departures from the rules of humane treatment of prisoners were authorized. We owed our troops better guidance. Indeed, in his review of Defense Department detention operations concluded in 2004, former Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger’s panel concluded that these changes in doctrine led to uncertainty and confusion in the field, contributing to the abuses of detainees at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, and undermining the mission and morale of our troops. Many of the legal positions put forward by Mr. Haynes in the course of formulating interrogation policy, and many of the techniques he recommended to be authorized for use against prisoners in U.S. custody, have since been repudiated and revoked. That is certainly a welcome development. But unfortunately, these course corrections came only after it became clear that the legal bases and practical impact of the policies could not withstand public scrutiny and were not worthy of this country. We have an enormous task ahead now repairing the damage those policies have done to military morale and discipline, and to America’s reputation. Had Mr. Haynes been ignorant of the likely consequences of these policies, the profound errors he made could perhaps be understood. But the uniformed JAGs of each of the services clearly and repeatedly expressed their concerns about the impact these policies would have both on the reputation of the United States and on the integrity and safety of military personnel. The Army Judge Advocate General, Maj. Gen. Thomas Romig, warned that this disdainful approach toward the Geneva Conventions and binding international law “will open us to international criticism that the ‘U.S. is a law unto itself,’” and that the adoption of questionable techniques will lower international standards, “putting our service personnel at far greater risk and vitiating many of the POW/detainee safeguards the U.S. has worked hard to establish over the past five decades.” These prescient warnings were echoed by the flag officer Judge Advocates General of the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. But Mr. Haynes failed to heed them. Today, it is clear that these policies, which rejected long-standing military law grounded in decades of operational expertise, have fostered animosity toward the United States, undermined rather than enhanced our intelligence gathering efforts, and added significantly to the risks facing our troops serving around the world. America’s commitment to the Geneva Conventions is grounded not only in battlefield experience, but also in the moral principles on which this country was founded. We have learned first hand the value of adhering to the Geneva Conventions and of practicing what we preach on the international stage. As you review this nomination, we urge that you compel Mr. Haynes to answer questions, including those attached to this letter, about his role in formulating and advancing these policies and to provide the Committee with all relevant documentary materials. With respect, General Joseph Hoar, USMC (Ret.) Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.) Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.) Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.) Vice Admiral Al Konetzni, USN (Ret.) Lieutenant General Charles Otstott, USA (Ret.) Major General John Batiste, USA (Ret.) Major General John L. Fugh, USA (Ret.) Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, USN (Ret.) Major General Fred E. Haynes, USMC (Ret.) Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.) Major General Melvyn Montano, ANG (Ret.) Brigadier General David M. Brahms, USMC (Ret.) Brigadier General James Cullen, USA (Ret.) Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote, USA (Ret.) Brigadier General David R. Irvine, USA (Ret.) Brigadier General Murray G. Sagsveen, USA (Ret.) Brigadier General Stephen N. Xenakis, USA (Ret.) Colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson, USA (Ret.) Ambassador/Former Vietnam POW Douglas "Pete" Peterson, USAF (Ret.) General Joseph Hoar, USMC (Ret.) General Hoar served as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central Command. After the first Gulf War, General Hoar led the effort to enforce the naval embargo in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and to enforce the no-fly zone in the south of Iraq. He oversaw the humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Kenya and Somalia and also supported operations in Rwanda, and the evacuation of U.S. civilians from Yemen during the 1994 civil war. He was the Deputy for Operations for the Marine Corps during the Gulf War and served as General Norman Schwarzkopf's Chief of Staff at Central Command. General Hoar currently runs a consulting business in California. Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.) General Gard is a retired Lieutenant General who served in the United States Army; his military assignments included combat service in Korea and Vietnam. He is currently a consultant on international security and president emeritus of the Monterey Institute for International Studies. Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.) General Gard is a retired Lieutenant General who served in the United States Army; his military assignments included combat service in Korea and Vietnam. He is currently a consultant on international security and president emeritus of the Monterey Institute for International Studies. Lt. General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.) General Kennedy is the first and only woman to achieve the rank of three-star general in the United States Army. Kennedy served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Intelligence, Commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, and as Commander of the 703d military intelligence brigade in Kunia, Hawaii. Vice Admiral Al Konetzni, USN (ret.) Admiral Konetzni served as the Deputy and Chief of Staff, of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He has also served as Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Commander, Submarine Group Seven (Yokosuka, Japan); and Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Personnel Policy and Career Progression. Lt. General Charles Otstott, USA (Ret.) General Otstott served 32 years in the Army. As an Infantryman, he commanded at every echelon including command of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) from 1988-1990. His service included two combat tours in Vietnam. He completed his service in uniform as Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee, 1990-1992. Major General John Fugh, USA (Ret.) General Fugh was The Judge Advocate General of the U.S.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • September 12, 2006 the Honorable John Warner, Chairman The
    GENERAL JOHN SHALIKASHVILI, USA (RET.) GENERAL JOSEPH HOAR, USMC (RET.) ADMIRAL GREGORY G. JOHNSON, USN (RET.) ADMIRAL JAY L. JOHNSON, USN (RET.) GENERAL PAUL J. KERN, USA (RET.) GENERAL MERRILL A. MCPEAK, USAF (RET.) ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER, USN (RET.) GENERAL WILLIAM G. T. TUTTLE JR., USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL DANIEL W. CHRISTMAN, USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL PAUL E. FUNK, USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT G. GARD JR., USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAY M. GARNER, USA (RET.) VICE ADMIRAL LEE F. GUNN, USN (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL ARLEN D. JAMESON, USAF (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL CLAUDIA J. KENNEDY, USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL DONALD L. KERRICK, USA (RET.) VICE ADMIRAL ALBERT H. KONETZNI JR., USN (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES OTSTOTT, USA (RET.) VICE ADMIRAL JACK SHANAHAN, USN (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL HARRY E. SOYSTER, USA (RET.) LIEUTENANT GENERAL PAUL K. VAN RIPER, USMC (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL JOHN BATISTE, USA (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL EUGENE FOX, USA (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL JOHN L. FUGH, USA (RET.) REAR ADMIRAL DON GUTER, USN (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL FRED E. HAYNES, USMC (RET.) REAR ADMIRAL JOHN D. HUTSON, USN (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL MELVYN MONTANO, ANG (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL GERALD T. SAJER, USA (RET.) MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL J. SCOTTI JR., USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID M. BRAHMS, USMC (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES P. CULLEN, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL EVELYN P. FOOTE, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID R. IRVINE, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN H. JOHNS, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD O’MEARA, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL MURRAY G. SAGSVEEN, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN K. SCHMITT, USA (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL ANTHONY VERRENGIA, USAF (RET.) BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN N.
    [Show full text]
  • Iraq: Is the Escalation Working?
    IRAQ: IS THE ESCALATION WORKING? HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JUNE 27, 2007 Serial No. 110–87 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 36–423PDF WASHINGTON : 2007 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS TOM LANTOS, California, Chairman HOWARD L. BERMAN, California ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American DAN BURTON, Indiana Samoa ELTON GALLEGLY, California DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey DANA ROHRABACHER, California BRAD SHERMAN, California DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois ROBERT WEXLER, Florida EDWARD R. ROYCE, California ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York STEVE CHABOT, Ohio BILL DELAHUNT, Massachusetts THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York RON PAUL, Texas DIANE E. WATSON, California JEFF FLAKE, Arizona ADAM SMITH, Washington JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri MIKE PENCE, Indiana JOHN S. TANNER, Tennessee JOE WILSON, South Carolina GENE GREEN, Texas JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas CONNIE MACK, Florida RUBE´ N HINOJOSA, Texas JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas DAVID WU, Oregon TED POE, Texas BRAD MILLER, North Carolina BOB INGLIS, South Carolina LINDA T.
    [Show full text]
  • The Brookings Institution Breathing the Fire: Fighting
    THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION BREATHING THE FIRE: FIGHTING TO REPORT — AND SURVIVE — THE WAR IN IRAQ Washington, D.C. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 PARTICIPANTS: Introduction and Moderator MICHAEL E. O'HANLON Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Keynote Remarks KIMBERLY DOZIER Correspondent, CBS News Panelists LT. GEN. PETER CHIARELLI Senior Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense U.S. Department of Defense MARTHA RADDATZ White House Correspondent, ABC News * * * * * REPORTING2008/06/25 2 P R O C E E D I N G S MR. O’HANLON: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Brookings. I’m Mike O’Hanlon, and I’m honored and very pleased today to have Kimberly Dozier speaking on her book, Breathing the Fire, account of her experiences in Iraq. And that will lead us into a panel discussion with Martha Raddatz of ABC and General Pete Chiarelli of the U.S. Army. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to discuss a number of issues that are raised by Kimberly’s excellent book, including the broader issue of media coverage of the war and how that factors into the nation’s resolve and support for the effort. We will invite you to chime in fairly quickly in the conversation. General Chiarelli has until a little after 2:00. So I’ll invite you also to direct questions you may have for him in the earlier part of the discussion. And on the way out, around 2:30’ish or so, please feel free to take a complimentary copy, as long as they last, of Kimberly’s book that her publisher has kindly provided to us here.
    [Show full text]
  • Anatomy of a National Security Fiasco: the George W. Bush Administration, Iraq, and Groupthink Phillip G
    Anatomy of a National Security Fiasco: The George W. Bush Administration, Iraq, and Groupthink Phillip G. Henderson The Catholic University of America These were people who were selectively picking and then emphasizing pieces of intelligence, I believe, in order to support their larger purpose, which was to bring in a way that they thought possible, to bring democracy to Iraq, and through Iraq to transform the Middle East. I thought that was far-fetched. I didn’t think it was going to happen, but that was their real purpose. They thought that this was going to be a transforming event in history. My frustration is that there was never a national security decision- making process in the administration where people such as me really had a chance to take that on. Richard Haass, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department 2001-2003, Interview with Chris Matthews on “Hardball,” May 6, 2009 In February 2002, one year before the U.S. military intervention in Iraq began, neoconservative writer Ken Adelman predicted that demolishing Saddam Hussein’s regime and liberating Iraq would be a “cakewalk.”1 At a town hall meeting at the Ameri- PHILLIP G. HENDERSON is Associate Professor of Politics at The Catholic University of America. Work on this article was supported by a research grant from the Center for the Study of Statesmanship. 1 Ken Adelman, “Cakewalk in Iraq,” The Washington Post, 13 February 2002, A27. 46 • Volume XXXI, Nos. 1 and 2, 2018 Phillip G. Henderson can air base in Aviano, Italy, on February 7, 2003, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld added that, if force were to be used in Iraq, the war “could last six days, six weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Report Template
    neocon_cover_print 8.29.06.pdf 8/29/2006 5:33:01 PM The Third Way National Security Project THE NEO CON C The Bush Defense Record by the Numbers M Y CM A Third Way Report MY By CY Sharon Burke, Director Of The National Security Project CMY K Harlan Geer, National Security Policy Advisor September 2006 Our nation—this generation—will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail. President George W. Bush (Address to Joint Session of Congress, September 20, 2001) Regime change in Iraq would bring about a number of benefits to the region. When the gravest of threats are eliminated, the freedom-loving peoples of the region will have a chance to promote the values that can bring lasting peace. As for the reaction of the Arab 'street,' the Middle East expert Professor Fouad Ajami predicts that after liberation, the streets in Basra and Baghdad are 'sure to erupt in joy in the same way the throngs in Kabul greeted the Americans.' Extremists in the region would have to rethink their strategy of Jihad. Moderates throughout the region would take heart. And our ability to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced, just as it was following the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. Vice President Dick Cheney (Speech to the VFW in Nashville, August 26, 2002) North Korea is firing missiles. Iran is going nuclear.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 No. 140 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was THE JOURNAL for host country resident personal services contractors of the Peace Corps. called to order by the Speaker pro tem- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The pore (Ms. DEGETTE). Chair has examined the Journal of the f f last day’s proceedings and announces ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER to the House her approval thereof. DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- PRO TEMPORE nal stands approved. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Chair will entertain up to five 1-minute fore the House the following commu- Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, speeches per side. nication from the Speaker: rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to f WASHINGTON, DC, the Speaker’s approval of the Journal. September 20, 2007. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The JENA, LOUISIANA I hereby appoint the Honorable DIANA question is on the Speaker’s approval (Ms. KILPATRICK asked and was DEGETTE to act as Speaker pro tempore on of the Journal. given permission to address the House this day. The question was taken; and the NANCY PELOSI, for 1 minute.) Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker pro tempore announced that Ms. KILPATRICK. Madam Speaker, the ayes appeared to have it.
    [Show full text]
  • Witness Biographies
    Senate Democratic Policy Committee Hearing “An Oversight Hearing on the Planning and Conduct of the War in Iraq” Witness Biographies John R.S. Batiste Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) General John Batiste recently joined Klein Steel as its president after 31 years of service in the U.S. Army. He retired from active duty on November 1, 2005. General Batiste is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and the Army War College. He also earned a master’s degree in financial management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. General Batiste has served in multiple assignments in the Army, including infantry officer, executive officer of the Fort Benning Infantry School, brigade operations officer, plans officer for the NATO Southern Region, assistant division commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, and senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He has served in Operations Desert Shield and Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom II. General Batiste’s most recent assignment was as commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division from August 2002 to June 2005. During this timeframe, the “Big Red One” conducted successful peace enforcement operations in Kosovo and combat operations in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. In Iraq, the division was deployed to north-central Iraq from February 2004 until February 2005, and included 22,000 soldiers from active and reserve component units from throughout the United States. General Batiste and his wife Michelle have been married for 29 years and have five children. Paul D. Eaton Major General, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Boletín 154 Otras Cosas Que No Te Cuentan Sobre La Guerra De Iraq (4
    Boletín 154 Otras cosas que no te cuentan sobre la guerra de Iraq (4). Más destrucción y muerte en Iraq gracias a la democracia made in USA. Asesinato de científicos que trabajaron en la contaminación radiactiva. Aumento de las deserciones en el ejército Iraquí. Caída de la moral en el ejército USA. Aumento de las deserciones y suicidios. Aumento de la oposición al reclutamiento. Aumento de la disidencia en el ejército. El ejército USA se desliza por la pendiente que lleva a la ruptura. Alfredo Embid. Más destrucción y muerte en Iraq gracias a la democracia made in USA. Todos los iraquíes saben hoy lo que representa en realidad la “democracia” que les ha traído EEUU. La destrucción del país es evidente y les recuerda a la población cada día como era Iraq antes y después de la invasión (1). Fotos: Bagdad antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Calles de Bagdad antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Samara antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Samara antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Arpa de Ur antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Bibliotaca de Bagdad antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Puentes de Bagdad antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Calle Al - Mutanabi antes y después de la invasión 2003. Foto: Niños iraquíes antes y después de la invasión 2003. El deterioro de las condiciones de vida es evidente desde todos los puntos de vista. Hemos insistido anteriormente en el insólito aumento de la mortalidad infantil (2). Solo un 30% de los niños iraquíes tienen acceso a agua limpia, la diarrea es la segunda causa de enfermedad y de muerte infantil.
    [Show full text]
  • Guard Times Magazine
    Families Face Challenges, page 5 Heartbreak in New York, pages 6,7 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit #3071 Syracuse, NY XPANDED E PLAN ! PATRIOT INSIDE '05 BENEFITS YOUR Volume 12 , Number 6 November-December 2004 From Ground Zero to the Sunni Triangle Homecoming Ceremony Held for Valiant Guard Infantry Battalion at Fort Drum FORT DRUM By Lt. Col. Paul Fanning Guard Times Staff Thousands of military family members jammed Fort Drum’s Magrath Gymnasium on the day after New Year’s to welcome their heroes home — more than 700 members of the New York Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry and its attached supporting units, Jan. 2. “Task Force Hunter” had returned to the post from where they had left more than 10 months ago for Operation Iraqi Freedom, to begin out-processing from active duty. Nearly 2,000 cheering family members, relatives and friends with banners, signs, ribbons and balloons were on hand. The Sunday evening ceremony saw a record turnout of news organizations from across the state. The Adjutant General of New York, Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Maguire, Jr. formally received the unit – the symbolic return to state control of a federally activated Guard unit and during his remarks, praised the Soldiers for their service and professionalism. He went on to praise family members and friends and the Fort Drum Garrison for the support that was rendered throughout the mobilization period. In closing, General Maguire called forward Camden Russell, age 3, who was dressed in his own desert battle dress uniform, and reunited him with his father, Spc.
    [Show full text]
  • Major General John Batiste Was Commissioned As an Infantry Officer
    Major General John Batiste, US Army (Retired) President and CEO, Klein Steel Service Center Inc January 2013 John Batiste joined Klein Steel Service in November 2005 after 31 years of service in the US Army. He retired from active duty on November 1st, 2005 and transitioned to Klein Steel in Rochester, New York the same month. He and his wife Michelle were married in 1977 and have five children. Michelle has been a strong advocate for military families through multiple extended deployments. John was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1974. Over the next 31 years, he served in a variety of leadership and staff positions, to include platoon, company, battalion, brigade, and division command. His major combat and peace enforcement experience included deployments to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Storm from August 1990 to April 1991, to Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Implementation Force mission from December 1995 to November 1996, and again to Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 from January 2004 to February 2005. John’s final assignment in the Army was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division from August 2002-June 2005. During this timeframe, the “Big Red One” conducted successful peace enforcement operations in Kosovo and combat operations in Iraq. The division combat team was deployed to north-central Iraq from February 2004 until February 2005 and included 22,000 soldiers from active and reserve component units from across the United States. John is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and the Army War College. He earned a masters degree in financial management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Annual Report President’S Message
    2020 ANNUAL REPORT PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE rom a global pandemic, to civil unrest, to waves of political change and calls for reform and defunding the police, the Fpolicing profession has been weathering one massive storm after another. I feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to represent the global policing profession and to have been able to withstand this storm alongside all of you. I would like to thank you for your service as law enforcement professionals and for your work and leadership on behalf of the IACP. Our work and involvement continued with the Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (Commission), the first U.S. commission on law enforcement in half a century, and a policy priority of the IACP’s that the association had been driving for years. In 2020, I had the honor of testifying before the U.S. Congress on police reform issues and advocating for preserving qualified immunity, adopting the National Consensus Use of Force Policy, making participation in the FBI’s National Use of Force Database mandatory, and obtaining the resources needed to maintain and increase the use of the national database of decertified police officers. Through this global pandemic, the IACP has stood ready to ensure you had the tools and resources needed to keep you, your officers, and your communities safe as you faced the unprecedented emerging issue of COVID-19. We worked quickly to develop a centralized COVID-19 resource clearinghouse with more than 30 new resources on important topics like policy considerations, health and safety, and response to communities and victims.
    [Show full text]
  • How Security Threat Discourse Can Precipitate a Press Clause Death Spiral
    HOW SECURITY THREAT DISCOURSE CAN PRECIPITATE A PRESS CLAUSE DEATH SPIRAL Robert Bejesky* ABSTRACT Consistent with the rationales for the inclusion of the Press Clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1791, international norms currently presume that an independent news media system is a pivotal element of democracy because broadcasters and news outlets can widely disseminate information to citizens, register alternative views on issues of public concern, and exercise oversight of government officials to reduce the incidence of imprudent, unethical, and illegal acts. These merits of the media are imperative during wartime and perceived national security crises due to the complexities in the sharing of constitutional war powers and the prospect of citizens bearing prolonged sacrifices and cost, but a security-imbued atmosphere of reporting poses distinct challenges to effective media performance. This Article applies a rational choice model to the events surrounding the Iraq War to depict how suboptimal reporting and the interrelated trajectory of public opinion and the tone of media coverage were a function of corporate power, profit motive, and structural characteristics of the media; the Executive’s ability to engage in agenda setting, frame official sourcing, and employ institutions of the Executive Branch to curtail critical reporting; and the news media’s choices regarding coverage of three essential variables—perceptions of security threats, patriotism for the military and troops, and facilitation of a humanitarian outcome. * M.A., University of Michigan, Political Science; M.A., University of Michigan, Applied Economics; LL.M., Georgetown Law, International Law. The Author has taught international law courses for Western Michigan University Thomas M.
    [Show full text]